06 October 2022.
George County, Mississippi, United States
Locality: Along Black Creek, approximately 0.46 kilometers south of Berry Road in the Pascagoula River State Wildlife Management Area. Accessed by boat.
Coordinates: 30.7372, -88.7002
(Map it)
Elevation: 12m.
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: Plants growing on the slopes and high bluffs about 2-5 meters above Black Creek.
Soils: The underlying geology of this area is classified as Pascagoula and Hattiesburg Formation of Miocene origin. This formation consists of green and bluish-green clay, sandy clay, and sand; gray siltstone and sand; locally fossiliferous.
Source: USGS Mississippi Geologic Map Data (https://mrdata.usgs.gov/geology/state/sgmc-unit.php?unit=MSMIph%3B0)
The primary soil types in this collection area are Urbo-Mooreville-Una Complex soils (0 to 3 percent slopes, frequently flooded). The Urbo series consists of deep, somewhat poorly drained soils. Permeability is very slow. These nearly level to gently sloping soils formed in clayey alluvium on flood plains of streams that drain uplands of the Southern Coastal Plain and Blackland Prairie Major Land Resource Areas. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. The Mooreville series consist of very deep, moderately well drained, moderately permeable soils that formed in loamy alluvium. These soils are on flood plains of streams draining areas of the Southern Coastal Plain and the Blackland Prairie. Slopes range from 0 to 2 percent. The Una series consists of deep, poorly drained soils on floodplains of streams in areas of the Southern Coastal Plain and Blackland Prairie Major Land Resource Areas. Permeability is very slow. Soils formed in acid clayey alluvium. The seasonal high water table is near the surface during wet periods. Slopes range from 0 to 4 percent. All of these soil series are strongly acid.
Source: NRCS Web Soil Survey (https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/WebSoilSurvey.aspx)
Associated species: Rhododendron canescens, Hamamelis virginiana, Oxydendrum arboreum, Symplocos tinctoria, Persea borbonia, Quercus hemisphaerica, Cyrilla racemiflora, Taxodium distichum, grasses
Comment: Seed were collected over an area of the Black Creek of approximately 0.65 kilometers from this location going north. Most, perhaps all, of the Rhododendron austrinum plants in this area are eglandular on stems, leaves and fruit. This feature is unusual, since most Rhododendron austrinum plants are moderately to densely stipitate glandular on stems, leaves, and fruit. It is important to note that this is also the area where an extremely unusual dark red form of Rhododendron austrinum is known to occur; Rick Lewandowski has seen the form in cultivation and it is very striking and beautiful.
Collector(s):